


Timelines

by The_Little_Sun



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death, Depression, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Post-Undertale Neutral Route - King Papyrus Ending, everyone is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 09:55:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7569673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Little_Sun/pseuds/The_Little_Sun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The timelines and all the baggage that comes with it is heavy on Sans' shoulders. But the one timeline that he despise most of all? When his brother is forced to be king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timelines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [embulalia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/embulalia/gifts).



> For a friend who has enjoyed sharing sad HCs at three in the morning.

    Sans had seen many timelines. They shifted and warped before his very eyes as the individual he called the "Player" poked and prodded at every little thing. Doubling back to check if someone would react or if munching on a specific pastry would calm another's attack. It was easy work to see if the Player was in a bad mood. Dust would cling to their body and there was something...off...about their smile. But the real deciding factor for him was when the Player would face Papyrus.

    Papyrus would smile and laugh and joke regardless of the Player's actions. He'd spare them eventually, his too-big heart unable to endure harming another living being. The Player usually immediately approached him with kind words and a well meaning offer. Other times, with calculated coldness and deliberate movements, the Player would beat Papyrus to an inch of his life before agreeing to be friends.  It was thankfully rare that the Player would crush the smiling, joyful skeleton to dust. Those sent jolts of pain through Sans' heart.

    The dubbed "Genocide" timelines were hard. Sans could only watch as strangers, friends, and his brother were killed with sadistic glee or intense curiosity. It only led to him staring down the dirty brother killer and killing them over and over and over. It was only a matter of time before the tables turned and Sans found himself in agony as the Player marched towards Asgore. These timelines were hard, but small glimpses of hope could be found in every kill he made or every attempt the Player aborted. So, yes, these timelines could be hell. But these weren't the worst.

    No, the worst proved just how cruel the Player could be.

    It was the timelines that shoved Papyrus into leadership without so much as a second thought. Under normal circumstances, Sans would have chuckled as Papyrus turned his endless energy into reviving the Underground and showing the monsters that there could still be hope and happiness. But the one person's happiness that Sans cared about more than anyone else's would sap away.

    It started out with words that begun to rarely reach full volume, then a slipping smile. Papyrus clearly suspected Sans of being beyond unhappy and obviously knew that Sans could keep trying if he was happy, so it was always too late by the time Papyrus let his own sadness slip past his mask. Crushed by the weight of responsibility, It would only take a week or two before Papyrus would simply...stop.

    Sans cried the first few timelines where Papyrus fell. He would demand that Papyrus stop being so selfish, beg him to stay, bury his face into Papyrus' scarf and tell him that he was the best little brother. That he loved him. It _broke_ Sans. How could he live without the brilliant light that was Papyrus?

  
    Then Sans would be forced to step in to fill Papyrus' role. He didn’t care. After all, it wasn't long before he followed Papyrus. What kind of brother would he be, leaving Papyrus to face the unknown all alone?


End file.
